The city of Detroit has an energy – an uncrushable spirit and an unmistakable vibe. From the famed Detroit Industry Murals to the legends of motown, Detroit’s role within American art, music and entertainment culture is immeasurable, and its people full of talent, passion and resiliency. To celebrate the vibrant soul of the city and partner with its community, Pepsi, a brand with a rich music and entertainment heritage, today unveiled “Full of Detroit Soul” – the brand’s ode to the city it’s inhabited for more than eight decades.
Pepsi “Full of Detroit Soul” is a multi-year community platform and creative campaign that builds upon and amplifies years of ongoing support of the Detroit community, all now housed under this new initiative. Made in collaboration with Detroit based artists and creators, the platform celebrates the city’s storied history and impact on culture, while spotlighting the new class of artists influencing it today and providing ongoing and much needed support to the community it serves.
“For more than 80 years, Pepsi has been a part of Detroit’s creative culture and community,” said Nancy Gold, Marketing Sr. Manager, PepsiCo Beverages North America. “As a Michigan resident, I am proud to showcase the creative energy, artwork and music this community has created from such talented people who reside in Detroit. Our hope through this platform is to partner with the community to shine light on its talent, both established and emerging, and give back to the community we call home.”
To kick-off the first phase of “Full of Detroit Soul,” Pepsi partnered with internationally renowned Detroit raised R&B singer/songwriter, KEM, as well as some of Detroit’s most prolific and innovative local muralists – Désirée Kelly, Ndubisi Okoye and Sydney James – to create powerful Detroit-inspired murals which now canvas the city through “Full of Detroit Soul” billboards and wallscapes.
Throughout the month and into 2021, Detroit residents will see “Full of Detroit Soul” come to life across a multitude of ways.
- Citywide Artwork Display: Inspired by Detroit’s popular mural and art scene, Pepsi is blanketing the city in billboards and wallscapes featuring original “Full of Detroit Soul” artwork by three talented and dynamic local artists:
- Désirée Kelly – an award-winning artist who is known as Detroit’s premiere portrait painter. Her portraits of public icons are immersive & reflect on the narrative of her subjects by including artifacts & phrases within each piece. She is known for her distinctive mixture of “street art” & traditional oil technique.
- Ndubisi Okoye – a multidisciplinary artist with a passion for art and design that tells a story. Through his drawings and murals, he creates unique stories to motivate, represent, and inspire people throughout the African Diaspora. His work uses combinations of typography, geometric shapes, vibrant color palettes, and tribal patterns to represent an improvised rhythm that is aimed at uplifting and motivating the viewer.
- Sydney James – a Detroit-bred, illustrative fine artist who has become one of the local leading creative change agents. By participating in a multitude of community arts projects, she extended her career to mural painting. She has completed murals in Detroit, New Orleans, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Ghana and takes on every project with the intent to evoke emotion in her viewers and hopefully cause positive change.
- Musical Showcase and ‘Locals Only’ Meet and Greet with KEM: For the city that has birthed some of the world’s most successful musicians, Pepsi is producing an exclusive virtual performance, including a meet and greet for Detroit residents only, starring singer-songwriter KEM on January 7, 2021.
- KEM – a Detroit raised singer and producer whose style has drawn comparisons to old-school R&B. He is best known for Gold-selling albums like 2003’s Kemistry and 2010’s Intimacy.
- “Full of Detroit Soul” Digital Hub: This all-in-one hub features campaign artwork and digital content, produced by Detroit-based creative video production company Woodward Original, and written and directed by Ariel Ellis, highlighting the Pepsi “Full of Detroit Soul” artists discussing what Detroit means to them as a person, as their inspiration as an artist, and how it contributed to their involvement in the new Pepsi initiative. The site also spotlights the brand’s longstanding Detroit community partners. Visit FullofDetroitSoul.com for more.
- Limited Edition Packaging: “Full of Detroit Soul” limited edition packaging on 12 packs and 2 liter and 20oz bottles of Pepsi will begin to roll out at retailers across Detroit in early 2021.
Pepsi “Full of Detroit Soul” is the brand’s latest initiative in the city. With a manufacturing facility and distribution center that employs more than 400 employees, over 470 pouring partners across the city, a 19-year partnership with the Detroit Lions, as well as the Detroit Tigers and more, Pepsi is no stranger to the city. For years, the brand has been committed to giving back to the Detroit community. Over the last four years, Pepsi has contributed more than $1 million through local charitable donations and long-standing partnerships, including the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, Detroit NAACP, SER Metro Detroit, The Urban League of Detroit and Southeastern Michigan, Latin Americans for Social and Educational Development (LaSED) and many more.
In 2020 alone, PepsiCo and The PepsiCo Foundation have taken an active role in Detroit through trusted partners and causes to help in COVID-19 relief and racial equality efforts including a $600,000 grant to the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan and Urban League Detroit for increased medical and economic aid to Black and Latino communities and a $30,000 donation to G1 Impact for Entrepreneurship Access. PepsiCo has also donated nearly 150,000 meals and products to Detroit residents through various partners this year.
For additional information on the “Full of Detroit Soul” campaign please visit FullOfDetroitSoul.com.
